Dia de los Muertos

When I think of cemeteries, I picture rows and rows of plain grey headstones surrounded by green grass or freshly exposed red dirt. There is a certain symmetry that flows throughout the whole place. With its freshly cut lawn and strategically placed flower arrangements, I rarely (if ever) imagine what is going on beneath the surface of the ground. In the middle of the cemetery, there is a place where those who have been cremated are placed and that is usually the only structure that sits above the earth. The roads are wide so a hearse can drive through and the plots are diplomatically measured.

Here in Guatemala, visiting a cemetery is a completely different affair. The first thing that strikes you upon your arrival is the different blends of bright colors. Every structure is painted in various shades of pastels. Sky blue. Sun yellow. Sea green. Even auburn orange. When they sit against the bright blue sky, they make a magnificent picture. The next thing you notice is how a substantial number of the graves are above ground. In Guatemala, it is more expensive to bury the deceased in the ground than to place them inside a concrete structure. So a vast majority of the cemetery is made up of brightly painted vaults covered with the names of passed loved ones and paintings of Jesus or angels. Those that are buried underground seem to be placed with a careless kind of disorganization. Wherever there is space, there is a mound of cracked dirt with a hand painted stone cross precariously embedded in the mound. The walkways are narrow and the trails leave the bottom of your pants covered in dust.

You are probably thinking "Why is Caitlin being so morbid and writing a blog about a cemetery?" Well, I got to visit one today during my Spanish class and it truly amazed me how different something so familar can be. We all have this notion of celebrating the life of someone that has been taken away from us, yet here in Guatemala it is an entirely different experience. They even have a day that celebrates the dead. It is called " Dia de los Muertos" and they spend the entire day flying kites, eating tons of food and partying it up in the streets. It is gonna be loco! I'm so excited. So in conclusion, I had a really interesting day in a beautifully sad place. Also there was a drunk guy passed out next to a grave. Weird. The end.